Strategic alliance governance in Zimbabwe policy and strategy
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Date
2009
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Publisher
Academic Journals
Abstract
Worldwide interest in strategic alliances has increased dramatically partly because of their potential to
expand firms operations in the short run. Among the many issues posed by the increasing interest in
strategic alliances, this paper focuses specifically on the dynamics associated with the governance of
strategic alliance relationships. Furthermore, due to the constant deterioration of the Zimbabwean
economy and the resultant heightened customer expectations, Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
have to enter into collaborative relationships which involve a high level of trust, goal alignment and
commitment. The research used a multi-method field approach to gather, information on strategic
alliances and corporate governance from 50 strategic alliance relationships from a wide spectrum of
firms in a variety of industries in Zimbabwe. Ultimately, this paper identifies four critical governance
areas into a framework for strategic alliance governance. The advent of the Internet has increased the
ease of application or collaboration to form strategic alliances. Factors such as increased competition
because of easier market entry, speed of data, and demanding customer requirements are necessitating
a revolutionary change in the way that SMEs are managed. The struggling economy of Zimbabwe
provides a platform that enables SMEs to extend their alliances to its suppliers thereby forming
dynamic industrial districts. These factors, shared with an eagerness to contribute towards information
and technology flow, will enable an efficient alliance thereby responding to the needs of customers.
Description
Keywords
Strategic alliances, Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Zimbabwe, Collaboration, Economy, Government
Citation
Naiker, V. and Saungweme, P. (2009). Strategic alliance governance in Zimbabwe policy and strategy. African Journal of Business Management, 3(8): 325-332